Toileting Training

Question: My daughter is refusing to come out of diapers and refusing to use the toilet. She is going to start school next year. What should I do?

Answer: Try creating a social story for her about her day including all of her normal activites and taking pictures of her doing them. Include an appropriate picture of her on or near the toilet with a similar description to, "When (name) has to go potty, she sits on the toilet and goes just like a big girl! It feels so good for her to go on the potty and everyone is so proud of her!"

Read the story to her every day for 1-2 weeks without doing any other encouragement. If she goes near the toilet, sits on the toilet, flushes the toilet or any other action related give her lots of praise.

She may really like this method with the use of a doll that she would train first as a way to make training more fun for her. Also, be sure to avoid any scolding as this can cause a child to resist toilet training or make a child more likely to have accidents once already trained. Good Luck!

Toilet behavior

Question:I have a 10 year old adopted niece who sometimes does feces in her pants without telling anything to her mother who finds it hours after. I feel like this is a serious psychological problem that her mother does not realize. I need a reference to convince her to check it out with a therapist. Thanks

Answer: It's hard to say whether this is a psychological problem or a medical problem. However, it definitely would be a good idea for her to talk to the pediatrician about this behavior and any other possible factors that may be related. The pediatrician would be able to better evaluate the situation and determine what type of help is needed.

Some important things for her to tell the pediatrician are - How often is this happening? What, if any, events surround the incident? Where does it usually happen? What time of day does it usually happen? and How does she respond when confronted about it?

You may also consider reviewing my page about potty training bowel movements to see if there may be some information there that could be helpful to her as well. Some children may just have difficulties knowing when they have to go or could have an undetected urinary tract infection causing the problem.

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